The Folger Shakespeare Library Finding Aid Database provides access to a growing group of online finding aids for manuscript, graphic, archival and other collections at the Folger Shakespeare Library. These finding aids provide detailed descriptions about the creation, historical context, arrangement, and content of collections as well as information necessary for users to identify and request the portions relevant to their research. Online finding aids are accessible from collection level records in Hamnet, a browsable list, or by using the following search tool. For more on research in the Folger manuscript collection, consult Finding manuscripts at the Folger: Frequently asked questions.

Help and Notes

Please note that not all collections have online finding aids. If you are beginning your search, we recommend looking in HAMNET first.

In addition, please note that the Folger Shakespeare Library is in the process of converting and transferring old online finding aids to this database. Finding aids in the process of being upgraded are noted as "(Legacy)" in the List of Finding Aids.

New and converted electronic finding aids will be added on a regular basis.

Search tips:

The Anywhere option searches the entire text of the finding aid and is the broadest type of search.

The Scope and Content option searches text only within the collection scope and content note of a finding aid. This note provides a summary statement of the intellectual content of a collection.

The Index terms option restricts the search to terms that have been specifically tagged in the “index terms” section using authorized forms from various thesauri. These terms include personal, corporate, and geographic names, topical subject terms, and genre terms. These terms represent only those which the cataloger deemed most significant for a particular collection. Not all names or subjects will be searchable in their authorized form.

The Item Description option searches only the lower-level series and item-level contents of a finding aid and does not search the higher level description of the collection as a whole.

The Names option searches for all personal and corporate names that have been explicitly tagged throughout the body of the finding aid. Tagged names generally appear in direct order.

Search results will point to the finding aid and attempt to link to the relevant section. Please use the find option (Ctrl-F) in your browser to locate keywords.

The banner image reproduces a portion of Richard Stonley's diary entry for Tuesday June 12, 1593, containing the first recorded purchase of Shakespeare's first publication, Venus and Adonis, made less than two months after the poem was licensed to be printed. Stonley also purchased John Eliot's The Survey, or Topographical Description of France. Total cost: twelve pence.